Connections
by Mouko
Summary: It was no surprise that a man in Senri's line of work would have a wide network of connections. It was even less of a surprise that he'd attempt to make sure Yuki had his own.


The Kanto National Airport was busy, as always. Numerous airplanes filled the sky, carefully avoiding each other at the direction of the traffic control towers, while even more lined the ground in preparation for their own flights. One plane in particular had just landed - a private jet with no discernible markings. It came to a stop effortlessly on the runway, pulling in to its own private area of the tarmac. Men in uniform waited for the plane's engines to cut off before they rushed forward, rolling forward a set of detachable stairs to the doorway on the side of the plane. Once safely secured, the door swung open.

Senri appeared in the doorway, stretching his arms upwards as he arched his back before he let out a deep sigh and placed his hands on his hips. "Whoo! Breathe that Kanto air! Smells like smog!"

"Uh... yeah," Yuki muttered as he looked sideways at his father. He was used to such eccentric behavior, but it didn't make the things Senri said any less weird. Instead, he focused on the Pikachu he held in his arms. "What do you think, Dazzle?"

The Pikachu sniffed the air before she huffed, her ears flicking. She wore a little dress reminiscent of a pop idol outfit, with various shades of glittering pink and purple frill on white and a matching bow on her ear. Her tail lashed from side to side, showing off the strange black marking forming a heart on the tip of her tail. "Pi-ka- _chu_."

Yuki snickered at the tone. "Not impressed, huh?"

Dazzle stuck out her tongue, making a raspberry sound.

Senri hummed before he paused, noticing a black limo pulling up right on the tarmac. He arched an eyebrow as a sly smile appeared on his face. "Aaaand here comes our ride."

The door to the limo's passenger area opened automatically, revealing a man in a crisp dark business suit with short, neatly slicked black hair and piercing eyes. "Ah, Senri, my old friend. It's so good to see you again."

"Yo, Sakaki!" Senri said as he raised his hand, then proceeded to descend the steps to the tarmac. No sooner had he taken a single step when a blur of black darted past the gym leader.

A muscular black Persian leapt down the steps in a single bound, effortlessly landing on the tarmac. He then tore across the airport towards the limo and Sakaki. However, once he got close, the Persian came to a stop. Puffing his powerful chest out, the Persian began strutting towards Sakaki, his tail swishing about behind him as he held his head up high. Staff and departing passengers alike stopped to stare at the parading Persian, the Pokémon slowly making his way to the limo.

Another Persian emerged from the limousine, her silver-point coat shining with an almost otherworldly light. She moved elegantly as she made her way past gawkers who occasionally whispered the word "shiny" in her direction, coming to a halt a little short of the black Persian.

When the female Persian appeared, the male promptly stopped. He stood majestically in front of her, flexing his muscles and making a great show of displaying his physique to her. Turning to his side, he stretched out before he let out a deep roar, the sound rumbling through the area and causing people who hadn't been paying attention to jerk to a stop and whirl to stare.

From the airplane, Senri chuckled as he crossed his arms. He glanced up to see his son peeking out of the doorway and smiled. "Tyrant's showing off for his lady friend."

The Persian's sharp eyes observed as Tyrant posed and then began to show off various attack moves for her approval. By the end of the show he put on, she seemed to consider him a moment before she rubbed her cheek against his with a purr.

Tyrant returned the rubbing with one of his own, his purr deep and rumbling like a growl.

Yuki eyed Tyrant with concern. "I hope he doesn't get airport security coming after us."

Senri laughed before he reached over to ruffle Yuki's hair. "Hah! You say the strangest things sometimes. But if they come, I'll give them an autograph!"

Yuki grunted as his long black hair was sent into complete disarray, leaving a dark curtain in front of his face and completely obscuring his ruby red eyes. He waited until his father finished the affectionate display before he brushed his hair back. "They probably would ask for it, wouldn't they," he whispered to Dazzle.

Dazzle huffed as her ears flicked back. " _Pi_."

A chorus of tiny meows interrupted Yuki's brooding, and he looked up in time to see a kindle of kittens rushing out of the limo. With their father's display over, numerous Meowths sporting both Persians' colors hopped out of the vehicle and padded their way over to join their parents. Tyrant rumbled in greeting as the young Pokémon reached him, and leaned down to give each one an affectionate nuzzle.

In spite of the annoyance Yuki felt, he couldn't help but smile at the tiny Pokémon reuniting with their father. "Aww..."

One kitten in particular, a Meowth with white fur and black boots, climbed up on to his father's back and scaled the mighty Persian until he arrived on Tyrant's head. The Meowth let out a loud meow of triumph as he flopped down on the male Persian's brow. " _Nyaasu_!"

"We really must schedule more visits," Sakaki said as Senri approached the limousine with Yuki and Dazzle not far behind. "Empress and her kittens were most demanding to see Tyrant as quickly as possible."

"Definitely," Senri said with a laugh, crossing his arms. "Tyrant's been just as _demanding_. Not that I blame him; any man would want to see his family."

"The offer to trade Tyrant for a sufficiently powerful Pokémon is still on the table," Sakaki said with a hint of joviality.

"And the answer's the same as always," Senri said, with a large grin. He paused and glanced over to see Yuki moving to pet the kittens, Dazzle resting on his head as she let out a delighted 'chu' noise at the baby Pokémon. The gym leader from Hoenn watched for a moment before he turned his attention back to Sakaki as his voice dropped in volume. "All joking aside, I gotta thank you. I can't even imagine how hard it was to arrange. Yuki's going to be _thrilled_."

Sakaki's smile broadened his eyes glittering with amusement. "Come now, Senri. Next time you ask me for a favor, do try to make it a _challenge_ for me."

Senri blinked before he laughed and reached up to rub the back of his head. "Right, of course. This is _you_ , after all. There's pretty much _nothing_ you can't do."

"High praise indeed from the great Senri," Sakaki chuckled. "Shall we be off?"

Senri's smile widened. "You bet. We've got an appointment to keep!"

* * *

Yuki had no idea where they were heading off to in Sakaki's grand limo, but that was hardly new to him by now. Senri had a habit of pulling surprises on him - some good, some bad. There was no way of knowing what lay in store for him and Dazzle in Kanto, a place he was mostly unfamiliar with. During the drive, his attention was torn between the scenery and the antics the tiny Meowth got into as they tumbled around with toys in the empty space in front of the seats with Tyrant and Empress grooming one another to the side.

The sight of a dense forest rather than city or suburbs caught Yuki's attention, bringing with it a sense of dread that the reason Senri had brought him there was some new and creative training exercise, possibly against some Pokémon only in the Kanto region. He thought back to his studies of the native Pokémon in the area when he noticed a brick fence up ahead emerging from the wood, and a large iron gate that opened automatically upon their approach.

Once past the fence, they made up their way up a hill, and Yuki peered through the thinning trees until he saw a large building at the highest point. The place was made in an elegant modern style that was a curious mix of an administrative building and house. It had an angled roof with black tiles, smooth white painted walls with large windows that let in plenty of sunlight. A walkway made up of smooth colorful stones in cement led to a front door made of faux wood painted white and smoky treated glass beneath a covered archway that sported some wind chimes that played a delicate melody in the faint breeze that he could hear only after the limo came to a halt.

The building struck Yuki with a strong sense of familiarity that made him gasp once he placed it. "This is-!"

"-Dr. Okido's laboratory," Senri said, a large grin spreading across his face.

Yuki looked back at his father's grinning face, dumbfounded. "Are you serious?"

"As serious as a Snorlax with a stomach ache," Senri said with a sage expression as the limo came to a stop. He moved to open the door, not giving the driver a chance to do it for him, before he held it open for his son. "He probably even has one around here somewhere, too."

"Three, according to the website," Yuki said excitedly as he rushed to remove his seatbelt and leave the limo with Dazzle in his arms. "And five Munchlax."

"That so?" Senri asked as his eyebrows arched upwards. He watched as his son stepped out of the limo, and let out a low whistle. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised! That man probably has one of every known Pokémon, and probably a few no one's ever heard about, too!"

Yuki laughed as he hurried up the walk. "If he does, then we'll find out about it soon from his journals!"

Senri glanced back to give Sakaki a knowing smile before saluting Tyrant and closing the door. Leaving his Pokémon to socialize with his family, the gym leader from Hoenn hurried after his son. It was rather easy to find him, given the loud and excited 'chu' noises coming from Dazzle as she rode on Yuki's shoulder.

As Yuki arrived at the front door, he wasn't given the opportunity to even so much as knock as the door suddenly opened to reveal an elderly man in a white lab coat, brown khaki pants, and a lavender collared shirt. He had slightly wild gray hair, thick black eyebrows, and a kindly smile as his blue eyes focused on Yuki. "Welcome. I've been expecting you."

Yuki froze in his tracks, his eyes widening in disbelief at the sight of the man standing before him. "You're really him... Professor Okido!"

"Last I checked, yes," Dr. Okido said with a good-natured chuckle before he stepped back, gesturing in to the building. "And you must be Yuki."

"Y-yes, sir," Yuki stammered, hesitating for a moment before noticing the silent invitation. He quickly stepped inside, eager not to let this chance pass him by. "It... it's an honor to meet you, Professor!"

"The pleasure is all mine," Okido said before he paused, noticing a pair of eyes staring intently at him. He glanced over to Dazzle, the Pikachu staring at him as she peered up over the back of Yuki's head, standing behind it. Dr. Okido blinked as his eyes focused on her tail, which twitched about in agitation. "Oh, my. What a healthy looking Pikachu, and which such an unusual tail pattern, too."

"Chuuuuuu..." Dazzle said, her ears flicking back.

Yuki fairly beamed as he nodded his head towards his Pokémon. "This is Dazzle. She's the most amazing Pikachu in the world."

Okido chuckled. "My assistant might want to disagree, but regardless... she's really beautiful, and I can tell that you take very good care of her."

Dazzle's nose twitched before she nodded sharply. "Pika _chu_!"

"Of course," Yuki said, his smile wide. "We're family and partners."

At that moment, Senri caught up with his son, coming in through the front door. "Left your old man in the dust there, kiddo." The gym leader of Hoenn chuckled before he turned to the Pokémon professor, extending his hand towards Okido as the doctor accepted the gesture and shook it. "Pleased to meet you, professor. Thank you for agreeing to see Yuki, I know you're a busy man."

"It's quite alright, I always have time for people with such an obvious enthusiasm for Pokémon," Okido said as he released Senri's hand, then turned back to Yuki. "Shall we go to the living room? I'm sure we have plenty to talk about."

Yuki nodded vigorously. "Sure! That sounds great."

Senri and Yuki followed Dr. Okido deeper in to his house, which was a strange union of laboratory and residence. While some rooms contained complicated looking equipment, others contained pleasant-looking furniture. One such area was the living room, which had comfortable white sofas and chairs with floral print upholstery and matching oak end and coffee tables.

Dazzle hopped off of Yuki's shoulders as he sat down on the sofa, running along the back before she easily leapt across the room to land on a wood and glass display cabinet filled with medals, trophies, plaques, and ribbons. The Pikachu paused to peer inside at the assorted prizes, then turned her head to watch as Dr. Okido sat in an armchair next to Yuki while Senri chose a chair further away from the pair, keeping his distance as he watched his son with a smile.

Yuki got comfortable on the sofa, fidgeting a little from being so overflowing with energy. "I follow your blog. It's so awesome all the stuff you're doing here for Pokémon."

"Thank you. I'm sure my personal assistant would be thrilled to hear that," Okido said, with a gentle smile. "There has always been an issue with getting the younger generation involved - and interested - in the research of Pokémon. My hope was that the blog would accomplish that, presenting our work in such a way that anyone could understand and enjoy it, and perhaps even be inspired by it." The elderly man paused before he smiled crookedly. "It's been a tremendous success, far exceeding my hopes. I'm very proud of it, and of the young man in charge of it."

Yuki nodded. "A lot of my classmates like sharing the pictures and videos he posts on the blog - especially of his Pikachu and your grandson's Eevee."

Dazzle flicked her ears as she watched Yuki and Dr. Okido talk, with Senri as a silent spectator. The Pikachu looked from human to human before she huffed, her ears drooping.

At that moment, a faint aroma caught the Pokémon's attention. Dazzle blinked before she sniffed, taking in the scent as her nose twitched. Though faint, she could immediately recognize it - cookies, with chocolate chips. The Pikachu's ears shot up and she quickly glanced around, looking for the tasty treats. Not seeing any, she frowned and hopped down off the dresser on to the floor.

Dazzle gave another sniff before she followed the scent until it lead her in to the hallway, scurrying across the floor quickly. The Pikachu paid little attention to the house as she was lead by her nose, darting in and out of the rooms in search of its source. She made it all the way to a large door leading in to a room at the far side of the house. She crouched down to sniff under the door, confirming the scent.

The Pikachu frowned as she debated what to do, but was interrupted when the door suddenly began to move. Dazzle jumped back with a squeak as the door swing outward, as a human appeared in the doorway, carrying with her a tray of tea and a strong waft of cookies. Dazzle blinked before she looked upwards, uttering a quizzical 'chu'.

The person, a young woman in her early twenties with long light brown hair halted at the sight of the Pikachu, her green eyes widening briefly. She opened her mouth, paused as she noticed the unique tail Dazzle had, before she smiled. "Hello there. You must be new."

Dazzle stared at the woman with wide eyes before she nodded in affirmative.

The woman knelt down so that she was closer to Dazzle's eye level. "What a lovely dress you have. The pink goes so well with your fur."

Dazzle smiled brightly, beaming at the compliment. She stood up on her hind legs and stretched her arms out, twirling around like a ballerina to show off the pop idol outfit she wore before she grabbed the edges and curtseyed. "Pi-ka- _chu_!"

The woman, Nanami, giggled at the sight. "How cute. I'd clap, but my hands are full right now." She held the tray out to Dazzle. "Would you like a tea cake?"

Dazzle's ears perked as she let out a happy little 'pika', then delicately reached up to accept one of the cakes. The Pikachu swiftly shoved it in her mouth before she smiled up at Nanami, chewing.

Nanami smiled at the sight of Dazzle's puffed out cheeks. "It's good, isn't it? My little brother made them from a secret recipe."

The female Pikachu chirped her enjoyment as she stood up on her hind legs. "Pikapika!"

Nanami nodded her head to the door behind her. "Go on in to the kitchen if you'd like to thank him yourself."

Dazzle paused and peered at the door, seeing it slightly ajar. She looked back up at Nanami and have her a little 'chu' before the Pokémon dashed in through the opening, disappearing in to the kitchen.

The first thing Dazzle saw upon entering the kitchen was a dining table where two Pokémon sat beside a tray of tiny cakes. One was a Pikachu like herself, only male and with a golden coat that glowed faintly even in the light. The other Pokémon was an Eevee that shined as well, only his fur was silver. The Pikachu offered the Eevee a cake in his paws, which the Eevee eagerly snatched up and ate with pleasurable noises. Beyond the Pokémon was a boy with black hair and intense red eyes recording the two Pokémon with his phone's camera.

Dazzle's eyes focused on the two Pokémon, her ears flicking as she blinked. Her eyes then shifted to the tasty looking cakes. Remembering the one she had just sampled, the taste still lingering in her mouth, the Pikachu paused before she crept closer.

Moving carefully, Dazzle climbed up in to one of the unoccupied chairs before she peeked up over the edge of the table, her ears canted back as she _peered_ intently across it at both of the Pokémon and the young man with red eyes. "...Chiiiiiiii..."

The boy's eyes flickered over to Dazzle and a small smile appeared on his face as he held the phone steady with one hand and offered a cake to Dazzle with the others. "Welcome to our tea party."

Dazzle stared at the boy as the male Pikachu and Eevee stopped and turned to stare at her. The female Pikachu hesitated as her ears flicked before she tentatively lifted her little arms to take the cake. She then quickly ducked back down beneath the table, noisily munching on her treat before she let out a delighted little cry.

"You don't have to hide under the table," the boy said gently as he peered over at Dazzle. "Pikachu and Eon won't mind sharing, right guys?"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried cheerfully and waved as Dazzle tentatively peeked over the edge of the table.

Dazzle was quiet for a moment before she reached up to grab the edge of the table, hopping up on to it. She glanced at Pikachu and Eon before turning her attention to the boy, her ears flicking. "...Chu?"

"Nice to meet you," the boy said. "My name is Satoshi."

Dazzle tilted her head as she looked at Satoshi before she smiled brightly, grabbing the edges of her dress to give a little curtsey. "Piiii-ka!"

"That's a great outfit," Satoshi said as he looked Dazzle over. "Mind if I take a picture and post it on the lab blog?"

Dazzle let out an enthusiastic squeak before she stood up on her hind legs, stretching out her arms as she twirled like a ballerina.

"...Who're you talking to?" a new voice said as Satoshi snapped a picture, prompting Dazzle to pause and look up sharply. A second boy with wild brown hair and green eyes appeared, wearing an apron as he held a bowl of batter in one hand and a spoon in the other. The boy paused and stared down at Dazzle, stopping in his tracks. "Oh, uh, hello there. And who're you?"

Dazzle flicked her ears before she put her hands on her hips. " _Pika_!"

Eon, the silver Eevee, turned to the new boy and gestured with his paws, in sign language. [Her name is Dazzle!]

"Dazzle? That's a pretty name. It definitely fits such a pretty Pikachu," the boy said before he gave the female Pokémon a lopsided grin. "But I'm sure you get that a lot. The name's Shigeru. Shigeru Okido."

Dazzle blinked before her eyes widened. She pointed at Shigeru and chirped, prompting Eon to gesture in sign language again. [You're related to Old Man!]

Shigeru blinked. "...Old Man?"

Satoshi stifled a laugh behind his hand.

Dazzle nodded sagely as she let out an assortment of chirps and squeaks, with Eon eagerly signing her words for her as he looked up at Shigeru. [Old Man is talking to Yuki-Yuki. About boring stuff, got bored and followed yummy smell instead. Had delicious cakes, much better than talk!]

Shigeru furrowed his brow as he cracked a smile. "Uh, I'm... glad you like my cakes. Thank you?"

Dazzle stood up and twirled about again before she curtseyed. "Pi-ka- _chu_!"

Satoshi slid his gaze to Shigeru and jerked his thumb towards the door. "The professor has guests today, remember?"

Shigeru paused at that before his eyes widened. "She means Grandpa!?"

Eon blinked and signed. [Not wrong.]

Satoshi's eyes drifted to the ceiling as he let out a quiet chuckle.

Pikachu shrugged before nibbling on a tea cake.

Shigeru frowned as he looked at the Pokémon and then Satoshi, then sighed wearily. "...Anyway, so does that mean you came from Hoenn?"

Dazzle shoved an entire cake in her mouth, puffing out her cheeks. She blinked and looked up at Shigeru before she nodded her head, letting out a muffled sound.

"Your trainer knows how to take care of you," Satoshi said as he took note of smaller details about Dazzle, such as her coat and muscle tone.

Dazzle swallowed the cake before she smiled brightly at Satoshi. "Pika-Pika pi-ka- _chu_ ~!"

"The dress looks professional, but I don't think I've ever seen anything like it in stores," Shigeru said as he resumed mixing the batter in the bowl.

The female Pokémon puffed up her chest proudly, putting her paws on her hips. "Pika-Pika chu pikachu!"

[Yuki made it for her,] Pikachu signed.

[Very pretty.] Eon signed before the Eevee turned to voice the sentiment to the female Pikachu, his tail wagging.

Dazzle reached up to cup her cheeks, squeezing them as she let out a delighted 'chu'. She then reached up to take off the ribbon around her ear and placed it on Eon's. Once fastened, Dazzle clapped her paws together. "Pika-pika-pika!"

The Eevee blinked as he looked up at the ribbon, shifting his head to that he could see it dangle. He then smiled brightly and turned to Shigeru, signing. [Eon pretty now, too!]

"Pi-ka-chu!" Dazzle agreed, clapping her paws.

Pikachu let out a chu of agreement of his own before kissing Eon's cheek.

Satoshi's reflexes were lightning fast, allowing him to record the moment. "Very pretty."

Eon yipped in delight, his tail wagging enthusiastically behind him. He moved to return the gesture, pressing his nose to Pikachu's.

Pikachu let out a rumbly purr as he nuzzled against Eon.

* * *

Yuki loaded up the Okido website on his smart phone. "I had a few questions to ask you about your article about..." The questions fled from his mind as he saw the latest post on the blog showcasing a familiar Pikachu in a pretty pink dress. " _Dazzle_?!"

"Hm?" Senri blinked, arching an eyebrow before he glanced about the room. He immediately noted that the female Pikachu was nowhere to be seen. "Where'd she go?"

Yuki flipped his phone around to show his father the screen. "She's on the blog!"

Senri blinked repeatedly as he stared at the screen, where a picture of Dazzle was proudly on display. She was currently hamming it up for the camera, making kissy faces as she pushed on her cheeks with her paws. "Yep, that's her alright."

Okido leaned in closer to get a good look at the picture. "Hmm... that looks like it was taken in our kitchen. My grandson is cooking in there, so perhaps she decided to get a snack. It's down the hall and to the right."

"Thanks," Yuki said awkwardly as he rose from his chair. "Excuse me, I'll be right back."

The smell of something delicious teasing his nose led Yuki easily to the kitchen. When he opened the door, he saw Dazzle and two other Pokémon in a number of outfits while Satoshi took pictures. He couldn't help but snicker a little at Dazzle, Eon, and Pikachu hamming it up for the camera together. "I should've known you'd find the nearest camera in the house."

Dazzle paused before she whipped around, waving her paws enthusiastically towards her trainer. "Pika-Pika!"

Yuki smiled at his Pokémon as he approached the table before looking to the boys. "Hey there, my name is Yuki."

Satoshi grunted and nodded slightly in response before recording a video clip of Pikachu bowing towards Yuki.

Shigeru chuckled before he brought his left hand up, pressing his pointer and index finger against his forehead before saluting the other boy. "Yo. I'm Shigeru Okido, pleased to meet you. And the _mute_ with the phone next to me," With a flourish, the brunette turned to poke his fingers in to Satoshi's cheek. "Is Satoshi."

Eon chirped as he wiggled his ears, then signed eagerly. [I'm Eon, and you're Yuki-Yuki!]

Satoshi swatted away Shigeru's hand, but didn't look up from the phone's screen.

"Nice to meet you," Yuki said to Shigeru before he looked at the Pokémon. "Oh, I know you. You're the famous Eon and Pikachu, the cutest couple on the internet."

Pikachu let out a rumbly 'chu' of pleasure at the comment before kissing Eon's cheek, which Satoshi was quick to record and upload.

Eon let out a happy little yip as he placed his paws on his cheeks, squirming in place while his tail wagged.

Dazzle trotted across the table over to Yuki before she leapt up to his shoulder. She then turned to Satoshi and Shigeru before dynamically placing her paw on the top of Yuki's head. "Pika- _pika_!"

Yuki laughed at the action and smiled at Dazzle. "I see you've been sharing your clothes as well."

[They're amazing!] Pikachu signed, tail wagging.

Yuki smiled at Pikachu. "I'm still trying to learn Pokémon sign language, but I'm guessing that's a good gesture, right?"

Pikachu nodded vigorously.

Satoshi peered up from over his phone just enough to show a hint of his red eyes. "You're bothering to learn?"

Dazzle put her hands on her hips. "Pika-Pika chupika _chu_!"

Pikachu was quick to translate Dazzle's words. [Dazzle says of course Yuki would learn to talk, since they're partners!]

Yuki blinked, startled by the response. "Well... yeah. I mean, Dazzle and I are best friends. She wanted to talk to me so much she taught herself how to _write_ , so it's only fair I try just as hard for her, right? Isn't that why you invented Pokémon sign language?"

Satoshi lowered his phone to the table. "Yes." He reached out to stroke Pikachu's head, who purred and nuzzled against him in response.

Shigeru glanced at Satoshi before he sighed heavily, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. He then returned his attention to Yuki, offering him a lopsided smile. "A lot of people don't bother. Some don't even see the point."

Yuki blinked slowly and stared at Shigeru, baffled. "But this is a huge breakthrough! It's going to totally redefine Pokémon-human relations. All the major news outlets went nuts over it for weeks."

Satoshi grimaced at the memory of when the reporters kept coming by and how Okido and particularly Shigeru didn't hesitate to drag him out to see them. He side-eyed the brown haired boy, his red eyes shooting Shigeru a cutting look.

Shigeru flashed the red-eyed boy a smirk. Even though Yuki hadn't meant it, it was a subtle reminder of an event Satoshi had preferred to ignore. But then, there was no way Shigeru'd be able to pass up watching the other boy _squirm_ in front of reporters. "Yes, they certainly did."

Yuki looked between the other two boys and wondered if he was missing something. "I don't get it. Wouldn't a lot of people want to learn sign language? It seems like it'd make things much easier."

"Learning a different language is _hard_ , and requires patience and motivation," Shigeru said with a shrug. "And once the novelty wore off, most people without a _serious desire_ to learn get bored and give up."

Yuki looked over at Dazzle, clearly baffled. "How could anyone get bored with the idea of talking with their best friend?"

Shigeru looked down at Eon before reaching over to ruffle his head, causing the Eevee to yip. "...Why indeed."

Satoshi snorted out what could almost be mistaken for a laugh, save there was no mirth to it. "'Friend'? Try _pet_ or _property_."

At Yuki's shocked expression, Shigeru gave a small shrug. "I've sure you've come across that kind of mentality yourself. If you haven't, you're lucky. Satoshi's just seen more than his fair share."

Yuki grimaced at the venom dripping from Satoshi's words. "Yeah... I guess a lot of people do treat Pokémon more like collectable accessories to show off than sentient beings."

Dazzle hopped down off Yuki's shoulder and hurried over to Satoshi, where she placed her paw on the boy's hand and gave a sage nod. "Pika-Pika chu chupikachu."

Pikachu's ears raised straight up and he scowled briefly before his paws moved in a flurry of motion. [The people who bred Dazzle threw her out, but Yuki isn't trash like them.]

Satoshi's eyes narrowed briefly before he looked to Dazzle. "Whoever did that to you deserves 100,000 volts to the crotch."

Yuki blinked, surprised and a little unnerved by Satoshi's words, but quickly deduced what they were talking about. "I'm guessing Dazzle told you how me and my friend Haruka found her in a cardboard box in an alley, right?"

"Bastards throwing away babies in dumpsters," Satoshi grumbled under his breath, glaring off at some point in the distance. "Trampling each other and any Pokémon in their path to get the one they want and throwing away the ones they don't."

Yuki blinked slowly and cast a worried glance in Shigeru's direction.

Shigeru met Yuki's gaze with a long-suffering one of his own. "...Like I said, more than his fair share."

Dazzle patted Satoshi's hand before she got a particularly mischievous look in her eyes, her cheeks sparking slightly. " _Chu_."

Satoshi's focus returned to Dazzle, and he nodded with a wicked smile on his face.

Pikachu chuckled and joined in on the evil smiling as his cheeks sparked as well.

" _Aaaanyway_ ," Shigeru said, interrupting the shared look of evil as he deposited another tray of tea cakes directly on the table in front of the trio. "Next batch is ready."

Instantly, the wickedness disappeared from Pikachu's features and he brightened up with a cheerful, "Pika!" He lunged for the cakes, snatching up the nearest one and taking a big bite of its still warm creamy goodness.

Eon barked in agreement as he grabbed a cake of his own, shoving the entire pastry in his mouth so that his cheeks puffed out to comical size.

Dazzle picked up a cake and split it in half, holding up one of the pieces to Yuki as she smiled brightly. "Chu!"

Yuki smiled and accepted the piece. "Thank you very much, Dazzle."

Satoshi looked Yuki over before he snagged one of the cakes. "I added new signs. Want to see them?"

Yuki briefly started before excitement lit up his eyes. "That'd be great!"

Senri hummed thoughtfully as he watched the three boys and their Pokémon interact, his arms crossed as he leaned against the frame of the doorway. "They seem to be getting along."

"Yes," Okido said softly so as not to be overheard. "I'm actually pretty surprised. Satoshi usually doesn't warm up to people as fast as he has with Yuki."

"That's my boy," Senri said, with a small smile. "He's good at that."

Okido chuckled. "Yuki certainly is a special young man."

Senri's smile widened as he flashed the Pokémon professor a thumbs up. "You bet, professor. He's going to wow the world someday."


End file.
